ArticlesBase.com - Free Articles Directory
Free Online Articles Directory
06.09.2008 Sign In Register Hello Guest
Email:
Password:
Remember Me 
forgot your password?


What Happens in an American Wedding

Author: Lloyd Leiderman Author Ranking Blue | Posted: 18-02-2006 | Comments: 0 | Views: 258 | Rating:  (50) Article Popularity - Green (?) Got a Question? Ask.
Sign Up Now!

Living in America makes one feel free - free to do anything, free to live, free to love, free from traditions. While this is true, there are still many wedding practices that flavor this memorable event with a distinct touch of Americana. Here are some:

Starting from the engagement, Americans can think of unique ways to personalize their wedding. As there really isn't any engagement tradition, the more unique and memorable the marriage proposal is, the better.

For most weddings, the engaged couple visits their parents to inform them of their engagement. Then, at times, the engaged couple hosts an engagement party. The engagement party costs less than a wedding reception since most of the time, the menu will only include cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. Therefore, if the couple is on a tight budget, they can just invite more guests to the engagement party if they plan to limit the number of guests during the wedding.

Most wedding preparations include a bridal shower hosted by the maid of honor and the bridesmaids. The groom may also have a bachelor party the night before the wedding, but he has to be careful not to drink too much.

Wedding invitations should include response cards to quickly inform the couple whether the person has accepted or declined. Also, the wedding invitations should be sent four to six weeks before the event.

Usually, there is a rehearsal dinner in which the wedding party and guests come from near and far to be present. The groom's parents usually pay for this dinner.

A bridal luncheon may be hosted for the bride's attendants during the wedding day. However, time constraints may not permit this to be part of the schedule for the wedding day. Likewise, the groom may also host a groom's dinner for his groomsmen.

Interestingly, even if the couple is not very religious, they often still prefer a religious ceremony. However, this may pose a problem since in America people of different faiths and religious backgrounds get married. Sometimes, because of this, people get married twice, once in the bride's religious tradition and once in the groom's.

Even if there are few people who believe in bad luck, some couples still ensure that the groom does not see his bride until she starts walking down the aisle.

It is still practiced that the groom and his groomsmen enter the church through a side door. The bride will then walk down the aisle with her father. In some cases when both her father and stepfather brought up the bride, she may ask them both to escort her.

During a formal reception, there is usually a bridal table where the couple and the attendants sit. Also, food and drinks should be served as the guests appear at the reception.

Before, gift giving used to depend on what the guest thinks would be useful for the couple. Now, it is better to register for gifts so the guests will know what to bring that the couple will need and this also minimizes duplication of gifts.

Upon receiving an engagement or wedding gift, it is better to send a thankyou note apart from saying "thank you" to the giver. This should be sent within two weeks upon receipt of the gift. Make a personalized thank you note, instead of using an impersonal generic thank you note.

These are just some of the many American wedding practices that make each one unique. Whether one chooses to be more traditional or prefers to have a very different wedding, the most important thing is that Americans still believe in the wedding vow, "For better or worse, 'til death do us part."

Rate this Article: Current: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s).

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/marriage-articles/what-happens-in-an-american-wedding-15479.html

Print this Article Print article   Email to a Friend Send to friend   Publish this Article on your Website Publish this Article   Send Author Feedback Author feedback  
About the Author:
Lloyd Leiderman is especially interested in helping people get the most from their wedding while keeping expenses down. See how at http://www.generous-wedding-savings.usefultoyou.com
Submitting articles has become one of the most popular means of generating quality backlinks and targeted traffic to your website. Join us today - It's Free!

Article Comments

Comment on this article Comment on this article
Your Name
Your Email:
Comment Body
Enter Validation Code: Captcha


Related Articles

Location, Location, Location: Perfect Wedding Spots
By: Lesley-ann Graham | 04/04/2006 | Marriage
Wedding magic often arises from where you're speaking your vows. Outdoor weddings feel different from indoor ones, and small intimate churches are very different from backyards or cathedrals. Each unique wedding site, though, has unique challenges. Choose

Wedding Basics - Getting Your Wedding Organized!
By: Lesley-ann Graham | 04/04/2006 | Marriage
Your wedding day should go smoothly and without a hitch, and the key to this is good organization well in advance of your wedding day. Here are a few tips to help you deal with the pressure of planning your wedding.

Common Questions Every New Fiancée Asks Themselves
By: Lesley-ann Graham | 04/04/2006 | Marriage
He asked me to marry him yesterday, and I'm the happiest person on earth, but I know I need to get going if I want the perfect wedding! What do I do?

Save Some Money: Make Your Own Wedding Favors
By: Lesley-ann Graham | 04/04/2006 | Marriage
Not only is it a nice touch, but if you have time to make your own simple wedding favors, you can save money that you desperately need for flowers, food, or your honeymoon.

Ordering Wedding Invitations: What Do You Really Need?
By: Lesley-ann Graham | 04/04/2006 | Marriage
The invitation is the first thing the guest sees for the wedding. It sets the tone of your big day, and gives the guest a clue as to whether the wedding is formal, semiformal, or casual. There are several types or styles of wedding invitation you can send

Honeymoon Planning: Planning Your Dream Honeymoon
By: Lesley-ann Graham | 04/04/2006 | Marriage
Everyone has a picture in their minds of the dream honeymoon after your perfect wedding. Maybe it's backpacking through Europe and visiting fairytale castles; maybe it's going to a pampering resort and focusing on each other. You can identify the best hon

How To Get The Right Wedding Cake For You
By: Lesley-ann Graham | 04/04/2006 | Marriage
Who needs that white vanilla wedding cake with sugary frosting? Do you want a wedding cake that looks good but tastes like cardboard, or one that looks good enough to eat - and is? And would you put that hard plastic bride and groom wedding cake topper in

Is It A Real Diamond?
By: Lesley-ann Graham | 06/06/2006 | Marriage
They say diamonds are a girl's best friend and that it is the true symbol of love. Their sparkle makes them absolutely attractive to the ladies. A diamond takes time to form; and skill to shape and perfect - just as relationships are. They say nothing compares to a diamond. They are rare and precious gems.

Got a Question? Ask.

Ask the community a question about this article:

Frequently Asked Questions

Chaplain William Percy Dyer Powe Looking for any ...
By: walliegoolsby | 29-08-2008
Chaplain William Percy Dyer Powe Looking for any information you can provide.  Was in WWII, lived in Iowa and MI.

I am torn between 2 men that are totally opposit ...
By: supersad | 28-08-2008
I am torn between 2 men that are totally opposit of each other. One of them is my ex-husband of 17 yrs and high school sweetheart, we have 2 beautiful daughters and anything we ever wanted. He wasn't perfect by no means but I know that he loved me alot. I met someone else who treats me like gold and is a wonderful man, however we struggle financially and I work at a job that I hate. We have been together 6 yrs now. My ex and I have talked about getting back together someday. I don't want to hurt either one or myself but I know its coming. I have never felt so lost in my entire life. How does someone make these decisions and what should I ask myself?

Have I done to much to save my marriage?
By: John-ever-learning | 27-08-2008
A month ago my wife says she doesn't love me the way I deserve.  I didn't get angry, I was stunned.  My wife took my not being angry as my not caring.  Later I came to find I was just really disappointed.  I was so devastated that I could not be angry.  I was completely blindsided and didn't see it coming.  Was I to blame for this?   As it turns out, we immediately went to singles and marriage counseling.  The marriage counselor said John give her space. We separated, I moved out.  It was hard.  I emailed her, I went to our house not 5 days later and spent the whole day there.  Then 4 days later is her birthday and I went all out.  I bought flowers, I wrote all kinds ot things about my feelings for her.  I did everything I thought was right. Both therapists say I'm trying too hard and that I'm actually pushing her away.  My individual therapist says I'm putting too much pressure on my wife and that I need to back off.  I also learned that I am hard on myself, am a bit of a perfectionist, am impatient at times, and I don't let out my feelings. So, I have to make my outside the same as what's going on inside.  I have to stop sweating the small stuff.  I have to not contact my wife whatsoever for the next 10 days which is when our next session is.  I have to do things that make me happy.  Which is going to be hard, because I am happiest when I'm with her, but what the hell, I'll figure it out.  I also have to stop perceiving things as if they are posessions.  I've just got to be me whoever that is. So, is it to late for me to change and save our marriage?  Have I pushed her too far?   ____________________________________________________________ Here's more info:   I am 29 and she is 26.  For a few days after she told me she didn't love me I tried to rationalize things.  I tried to tell her that love was more than a feeling that it was a culmination of many things.  I just didn't validate her feelings or want to hear it.  Who wants to hear that they aren't loved by the one to which they are married.  What's odd is we like a lot of the same things.  We do a lot of the same things.  We take care of ourselves.  We work out together.  We like stupid comedies.  But we're different enough to keep it interesting.  She is guilty of holding in her feelings like I am.  One month after I proposed to her my father was diagnosed with cancer and one year to that day we burried him.  My wife felt it would be terrible to bring the news of her doubt to me during those days.  I understand that.  I don't like it, but I understand it.  Now, I pray every morning and before I go to bed.  Heck, I sleep with Bible now.  I pray for guidance, and what I must do to make the situation right.  I'm also working on my flaws about which I am learning.  I'm being more assertive, I'm doing things I enjoy. I am at the same time missing my wife.  Yesterday I agreed fully to make no contact with her so she can think.  For the past month I have been in denial.  I didn't want their to be the possibility of a break up pending.  I didn't want to hear she didn't love me the way I deserve.  I tried my best to do all the things you read about in romance novels.  All the while, I have been making her feel more guilty, putting to much pressure on her, and pushing her away.  And for that I'm am sorrier than anyone can ever know.  I don't want the reason my wife leaving me is because I tried to hard and was too clingy.  That's unattractive and yet, I did it.  Someone said women are a strange creature, I believe men are far more strange. 

House hold wedding shower
By: Tina murray | 27-08-2008
When planning a house hold shower for the bride to be should you buy hotel rooms for out of town guests?

What happened to the Bride?
By: Ron | 27-08-2008
A Rockefeller married a girl from the Johnstown area of Pennsylvania in the mid 1940's.  Who was the girl, and what happened to her?

House hold shower
By: Tina murray | 27-08-2008
who comes to a house hold shower  

Q&A Powered by:
Powered by Yedda 

Latest Marriage Articles

How To Keep The Magic Alive In Your Marriage
By: Rodrigo Rehn | 06/09/2008
When you met your spouse you probably felt an immediately spark that just wouldn't die down.

Affairs and You: Can Nagging Lead To An Affair?
By: Brandon Grittini | 06/09/2008
We hear it all the time, "she won't stop nagging." But does nagging lead to affairs. Understanding the psychology of nagging can help uncover the answer.

What Do Couples Really Need? The Practical Wedding Gifts
By: Ben Spence | 05/09/2008
There are so many things to think about when shopping for wedding gifts. You must consider what you think is a wonderful wedding gift versus what the happy couple will think. Most young couples getting married are just starting out while also beginning a new life together. There are two...

Wedding Ideas: Planning Your Wedding
By: Janet R. | 04/09/2008
A wedding is a dream come true for most people. A moment where a woman and man are called and combined by the holy sacrament of matrimony. During this time, the couple will exchange vows and legally offer themselves to each other. However, before coming to the exact point, the...

Putting "You" Into Your Bridal Shower Gifts
By: Ynavica William | 04/09/2008
When it comes to bridal shower gifts, people think it's easy to choose - until the time comes that you really have to choose. Ideally, people will only get married once, and you want things to be perfect for that one special time. Bridal shower gifts, like other wedding favors,...

Cheap Wedding Favors - Top Three Practical Options
By: Janet R. | 04/09/2008
Preparing a wedding can be very lavish, especially today that almost everything is increasing, from basic elements for the wedding ceremony to the wedding reception. After the couple is done paying for major essentials, they would likely opt for nice but cheap wedding favor ideas. Cheap wedding favors are those...

Bridal Shower Party - Planning and Preparation
By: Janet R. | 04/09/2008
Somebody's getting married, and you as her maid of honor is responsible for hosting the shower party. Expected are numerous tasks and obligations that need your attention. This is quite challenging. Tasks and responsibilities for shower parties aren't just as simple as you may think. Consider today's trend of bridal...

After You Marry, How Do You Change Your Last Name?
By: Sebastian Marders | 04/09/2008
You're deciding to get married and you've made the choice that you will change your last name to your spouse's last name. But how will this be done properly? Where do you start? This simple guide will help.

Article Categories






Give Feedback

Sign up for our email newsletter

Receive updates, enter your email below